Roast Vegetable, Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna

Submitted by Veggie Ruthie

"The ingredients list for this lasagna may look a little intimidating, but it really is quite easy to make, and so worth the the effort!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 21
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• For the roast vegetable sauce

• 1 eggplant, sliced lengthways
• 1 courgette, halved and sliced lengthways
• 5 button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 red capsicum, deseeded and sliced lenthways
• 5 tablespoons oil
• salt and black pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (400 g) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried herbs

• For the ricotta and spinach layer

• 250 g ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 250 g english spinach, washed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil

• For the cheese sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 3⁄4 cup tasty cheese, grated
• salt and black pepper

• To put it all together

• 3 large instant lasagna sheets
• 1⁄4 cup tasty cheese, grated

directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F Place Eggplant, courgette, mushrooms and capsicum in a roasting pan, coat with 4 tablespoons of oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan, add onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent. Add crushed tomatoes and herbs and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir through roasted vegetables.
3. In a large bowl mash ricotta with a fork and mix in egg and basil. Blanch spinach in a pot of boiling water for 30 secs or until wilted. Drain and add to ricotta mixture. Leave aside.
4. For the cheese sauce melt butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, add flour and stir until mixture becomes frothy. Slowly pour in milk, whisking as you go. Bring to a boil, and whisk as mixture thickens. Remove from heat, stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper.
5. In a large greased baking dish spoon half the roast vegetable sauce, followed by a layer of lasagna noodles, trimming noodles to fit dish if needed. Spread the ricotta mix on top, followed by another layer of noodles. Spoon over remaining half of sauce, followed by a layer of noodles. Pour over cheese sauce, sprinkle with extra grated cheese and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Reviews

[Chris Wilson UK]

Tried it and thought it was very good as well. Went back for seconds :) Will cook this for a dinner party next week. I agree that it could use some more cheese. The cheese sauce is very thick and difficult to spread over the pasta. I'd probably double the amount of it and add more milk to make it thinner. I used chilli peppers, as the recipe didn't specify, which was very tasty but probably less authentic and not for the faint of heart. I also used way more than 4 tbsp of oil on the roast vegetables :)

 

[jade1977]

Made for Christmas dinner and it was pretty good. Would make again, but it is not my 100% favoriate. Did take a lot of work, but it was worth it. Needs more cheese.